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The question of the death penalty (2019), para. 22
- Original document
- Paragraph text
- Stressing that under no circumstances can the death penalty ever be applied as a sanction against specific forms of conduct, such as adultery, blasphemy, homosexuality, apostasy, establishing political opposition groups or offending a head of State, and that States parties that retain the death penalty for such offences commit a violation of their international obligations,
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Date added
- Feb 25, 2020
Paragraph
Human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity (2011), para. 6
- Original document
- Paragraph text
- 1. Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to commission a study, to be finalized by December 2011, documenting discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity, in all regions of the world, and how international human rights law can be used to end violence and related human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity;
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Date added
- Feb 25, 2020
Paragraph
The question of the death penalty (2017), para. 29
- Original document
- Paragraph text
- 6. Also urges States that have not yet abolished the death penalty to ensure that it is not imposed as a sanction for specific forms of conduct such as apostasy, blasphemy, adultery and consensual same-sex relations;
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Date added
- Feb 25, 2020
Paragraph
Situation of human rights in Belarus (2018), para. 09
- Original document
- Paragraph text
- 5. Welcomes the adoption by the Government of Belarus on 24 October 2016 of an inter-agency plan on human rights for the period 2016–2019 for the implementation of the recommendations accepted by the Government during the second cycle of the universal periodic review of Belarus and the recommendations by some treaty bodies, encourages the Government to review and amend the plan by including recommendations by human rights mechanisms and by taking into account suggestions made by civil society organizations, also welcomes the submission of the fifth report by the Government on the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, in March 2017, and further welcomes the registration of the Tell the Truth movement as a non-governmental organization in May 2017 and the MAKEOUT lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender project in March 2018, and the steps taken towards a public debate on the application of capital punishment;
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Date added
- Feb 25, 2020
Paragraph
The question of the death penalty (2017), para. 20
- Original document
- Paragraph text
- Condemning the imposition of the death penalty as a sanction for specific forms of conduct, such as apostasy, blasphemy, adultery and consensual same-sex relations, and expressing serious concern that the application of the death penalty for adultery is disproportionately imposed on women,
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Date added
- Feb 25, 2020
Paragraph
Human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity 2011, para. 3
- Paragraph text
- Also decides that the panel will also discuss the appropriate follow-up to the recommendations of the study commissioned by the High Commissioner;
- Body
- United Nations Human Rights Council
- Document type
- Resolution
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Criminalisation of sexual and reproductive health 2011, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- Laws restricting information about sexual and reproductive health and which censor discussions of homosexuality in the classroom fuel stigma and discrimination of vulnerable minorities. For example, laws and policies that promote abstinence-only education reduce sexual education to images and stereotypes of heteronormativity, given their focus on procreation; some of these programmes even contain explicitly discriminatory content on gender and sexual orientation. In certain instances, teachers have been suspended or threatened with lawsuits for engaging in discussions on "inappropriate" sexual matters with their students when discussing sexual and reproductive health issues in the classroom. In other cases, pursuant to abstinence-only and anti-obscenity policies, school districts, courts and legislators have prohibited civil society organizations from meeting in public schools. Such laws and policies perpetuate false and negative stereotypes concerning sexuality, alienate students of different sexual orientations and prevent students from making fully informed decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive health.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Diversity in humanity, humanity in diversity 2017, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- The initiatives of regional organizations have led to constructive developments. The European human rights system has evolved greatly and proactively on the issue of sexual orientation and gender identity. The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (European Convention on Human Rights) has flourished, with important case work on sexual orientation and gender identity being carried out. Furthermore, a number of articles of the Convention, on such matters as the right to non-discrimination, the prohibition of torture, the right to privacy and the right to freedom of expression have been the subject of judicial deliberation. There have been a variety of cases before the European Court of Human Rights, covering a wide expanse of Europe and interlinking geographically with the furthest reaches of Asia, with much innovative thinking. In parallel to this, the European Union, with its Charter of Fundamental Rights, has strengthened measures against violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, including via the collection and collation of data through the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights to inform policymaking and action.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia pointed out that, given the sensitivities surrounding issues relating to LGBTI rights in Malaysia, it had adopted a step-by-step approach in addressing such issues. In August 2010, the Commission organized a meeting with various Islamic groups with the objective of gaining a better understanding of Islamic perspectives of LGBTI and of substantiating Islamic sensitivities and views regarding such LGBTI actions as same sex intercourse, cross dressing, imitation of the opposite gender and gender reassignment. The application of the principles of non-discrimination under the Federal Constitution on LGBTI was also discussed. The meeting was followed by a roundtable discussion in 2011 during which participants raised some issues related to sexual minorities, including the need to protect sexual minorities from violence through legal and other forms of protection and redress, to recognize transgender persons by ensuring an enabling environment and to review relevant laws to prevent discrimination, for example through the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity as a grounds for discrimination in article 8(2) of the Federal Constitution.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- Recent welcome developments at the national level include a new law enacted by the Parliament of Canada (Bill C-16) expanding protection under the Canadian human rights law to cover transgender persons, including protection from hate speech, and in Germany and Taiwan Province of China, moves towards recognition of same-sex marriage. In India, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation issued guidelines in April 2017, directed to all states, to allow transgender persons to use the facility of their choice in community or public toilets, and a Ministry of Health and Family Welfare resources kit for adolescents explains that same-sex attraction is normal. Peru introduced a new education curriculum on 1 January 2017 which makes it mandatory to teach about sexual and reproductive rights, abortion, sexual orientation and gender identity, and in March 2017 Japan updated its basic policy for the prevention of bullying, which expressly protects sexual and gender minority students. Several initiatives have also been taken in 2017 to ban “conversion therapy”, for example in Taiwan, Province of China, in the State of Victoria (Australia) and in the State of California (United States of America).
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Gender-related killings of women 2012, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- The Human Rights Council has expressed its concern about the increasing violence and killings of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons and the impunity surrounding these crimes. More recently, the Council passed a groundbreaking resolution on human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Gender-related killings of women 2012, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- In the case of South Africa, the recent murders of Black lesbian women demonstrates the multiple and intersecting factors that have led to an escalation in homophobic attacks, despite progressive constitutional provisions preventing discrimination on the basis of, among others, race, gender and sexual orientation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Homelessness as a global human rights crisis that demands an urgent global response 2016, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- Homelessness disproportionately affects particular groups, including women, young people, children, indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, migrants and refugees, the working poor, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, each in different ways, but with common structural causes. These include: (a) the retreat by all levels of government from social protection and social housing and the privatization of services, infrastructure, housing and public space; (b) the abandonment of the social function of land and housing; (c) the failure to address growing inequalities in income, wealth and access to land and property; (d) the adoption of fiscal and development policies that support deregulation and real estate speculation and prevent the development of affordable housing options; and (e), in the face of urbanization, the marginalization and mistreatment of those who are most precariously housed in informal settlements, living in temporary overcrowded structures, without access to water, sanitation or other basic services and living under the constant threat of eviction.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health and criminalization of same-sex conduct and sexual orientation, sex-work and HIV transmission 2010, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Historically, sex work has been criminalized in two major ways. First, through the criminalization of the selling of sexual services, with the imposition of penalties upon sex workers themselves. Second, through the criminalization of various practices around sex work: these include, but are not limited to, keeping a brothel; recruiting for or arranging the prostitution of others; living off the proceeds of sex work; solicitation; and facilitating sex work through the provision of information or assistance. Although the former is not directly criminalized in many States worldwide, sex workers are nonetheless treated as criminals where activities around sex work are criminalized, or through the use of other pre-existing laws (not specific to sex work) to harass, intimidate or justify the use of force against sex workers. Examples include the use of vagrancy or public nuisance laws to detain or arrest street sex workers, or the use of laws prohibiting homosexual acts in relation to male and transgender sex workers.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health and criminalization of same-sex conduct and sexual orientation, sex-work and HIV transmission 2010, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- In jurisdictions in which their sexual conduct is criminalized, affected individuals are much more likely to be unable to gain access to effective health services, and preventive health measures that should be tailored to these communities are suppressed. The fear of judgement and punishment can deter those engaging in consensual same-sex conduct from seeking out and gaining access to health services. This is often a direct result of the attitudes of health-care professionals who are not trained to meet the needs of same-sex practising clients - not only in terms of sexual health, but also with regard to health care more generally. Often, health professionals may refuse to treat homosexual patients altogether, or respond with hostility when compelled to do so. Where patients may be guilty of a criminal offence, by engaging in consensual same-sex conduct, this has the potential to jeopardize the obligations of confidentiality that arise during the course of the doctor-patient relationship, as health professionals may be required by law to divulge details of patient interaction.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Challenges faced by groups most at risk when exercising or seeking to exercise the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and/or of association 2014, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- In addition to legislation that restricts the right to the freedom of assembly of LGBTI people through discriminatory law that prohibits "propaganda" or the "promotion" of homosexuality, some legislation also specifically prohibits the formation, running, participation in or support of organizations that advocate for the protection of the human rights of LGBTI people. This is the case of the above-mentioned Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act in Nigeria. The Special Rapporteur highlights that the Human Rights Committee has clarified that any limitations to rights protected by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, when permitted by the Covenant, may not be imposed for discriminatory purposes or applied in a discriminatory manner. Therefore, provisions restricting or prohibiting the right to freedom of association of a specific group on discriminatory grounds, such as sexual orientation or gender identity, is not permitted under the Covenant and must be reviewed with a view to repeal.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Challenges faced by groups most at risk when exercising or seeking to exercise the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and/or of association 2014, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- In other cases, inaction by authorities may prevent some groups from exercising their right to freedom of peaceful assembly. The Special Rapporteur has received numerous reports from India regarding the disruption of public assemblies of Dalit individuals - members of the country's traditional "untouchable" caste. This includes one case in 2009 in which members of another caste obstructed a funeral procession and beat members of the Dalit community. Police reportedly failed to intervene, despite being present. In Egypt, peaceful female demonstrators were sexually assaulted repeatedly in Tahir Square, largely due to the inaction of law enforcement authorities. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, unidentified individuals violently disrupted LGBTI events in 2008 and 2014. In both cases, the police failed to provide protection to the organizers and participants. In several countries, stigmatization and counter-demonstrations against LGBTI pride parades and marches have also dissuaded organizers from holding such events.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the context of multilateral institutions 2014, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- Article 71 of the Charter of the United Nations, for example, is implemented primarily via the United Nations Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, which recommends Economic and Social Council status for NGOs wishing to participate in the Council. Status is required of NGOs to attend and participate in many United Nations meetings, and to make statements before the Human Rights Council. The Special Rapporteur received numerous complaints that the process of obtaining Council status is long, complex, costly, beyond the capability of many small civil society organizations and impossible to obtain for informal organizations and grass-roots networks, in particular those which do not have access to the Internet. This has resulted in a perceived underrepresentation of smaller organizations, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups and civic organizations from the Global South. In addition to these practical barriers, NGO applicants also face political ones. The Special Rapporteur reviews both in section IV below.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Adequacy of the international legal framework on violence against women 2017, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- Civil society organizations called for more support for women’s organizations on the ground, underlining that women human rights defenders faced daily threats and harassment, and needed greater protection. At the same time, more regulations addressing violence against particular groups of women, such as women belonging to minority groups; migrants; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons; elderly women; women with disabilities; and widows, were also supported.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- LGBTQI+
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The Special Rapporteur's vision of the mandate 2017, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- In his third report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/26/29), in which he assessed the threats against groups most at risk when exercising their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, the previous mandate holder focused on the challenges facing groups that were often relegated to the margins of society, both in their daily lives and in the exercise of those rights. In the report, he highlighted the link between the denial of those rights and the marginalization of such groups and how that marginalization exacerbated their inability to effectively exercise their rights. Some of the groups considered to be most at risk were persons with disabilities; youth, including children; women; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people; members of minority groups; indigenous peoples; internally displaced persons; and non-nationals, including refugees, asylum seekers and migrant workers. For the purpose of the report, the groups most at risk also included groups and individuals who were targeted not because of their identity, but because they actively lobbied for the rights of those most at risk of discrimination and retribution. He noted that human rights defenders, including journalists, trade unionists and environmental activists, faced considerable opposition, harassment, stigmatization and even physical attacks from State and non-State actors in many countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- LGBTQI+
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert took part in a lecture at a seminar for human rights defenders in Manila, highlighting in particular the channels for activating communications through the United Nations special procedures to seek protection and redress. He attended various European activities in relation to the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia in Brussels, calling for strategic action to overcome violence and discrimination, including the need for human rights-sensitive laws, policies, programmes, case enforcement in the courts, accessible mechanisms and personnel, resources, education and monitoring, data generation, accountability provisions, and networking and mobilization for national reforms to comply with international standards. During the regular session of the Human Rights Council in March 2017, he contributed to a panel on transgender persons, mental health and human rights and advocated the need to engage more strongly with the health sector, particularly on such issues as conversion therapy, forced sterilization, medical diagnosis and counselling, all of which might be interlinked with violence and discrimination, as well as the need for comprehensive health care for all. Concurrently, he helped to train human rights defenders from several parts of the world on the issue of sexual orientation and gender identity in a session organized by a non-governmental organization.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 1
- Paragraph text
- The theme of the present report is “Embrace diversity and energize humanity”. It has been submitted by Vitit Muntarbhorn, who in 2016 was appointed as the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 32/2. He wishes to warmly thank Governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, communities, individuals and other stakeholders for their kind support. In accordance with the request of the Council in its resolution 32/2, paragraph 4, the first report of the Independent Expert was submitted to the Council in April 2017 (A/HRC/35/36). The present report is submitted in line with paragraph 4 of the same resolution, in which the Council requested the Independent Expert to present a report to the General Assembly at its seventy-second session. The Independent Expert will elaborate upon the six underpinnings mentioned in his first report, adjusted as follows: decriminalization of consensual same-sex relations and of gender identity and expression; effective anti-discrimination measures; legal recognition of gender identity; destigmatization linked with depathologization; sociocultural inclusion; and education with empathy. The present report (part one) will address the first two underpinnings, decriminalization and anti-discrimination. Parts two and three, due in 2018, will deal with the other underpinnings consecutively.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- It is essential that States take all necessary measures to prevent and combat the illicit transfer and non-return of children as well as the worst forms of child labour, including all forms of slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, the use of children for illicit activities, including begging, and hazardous work, and protect them from violence and economic exploitation. The Committees recognize that children face gender-specific risks and vulnerabilities which should be identified and specifically addressed. In many contexts, girls may be even more vulnerable to trafficking, especially for purposes of sexual exploitation. Additional measures should be taken to address the particular vulnerability of girls and boys, including those who might have a disability, as well as children who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex persons, to trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation and abuse.
- Body
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- It is essential that States take all necessary measures to prevent and combat the illicit transfer and non-return of children as well as the worst forms of child labour, including all forms of slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, the use of children for illicit activities, including begging, and hazardous work, and protect them from violence and economic exploitation. The Committees recognize that children face gender-specific risks and vulnerabilities which should be identified and specifically addressed. In many contexts, girls may be even more vulnerable to trafficking, especially for purposes of sexual exploitation. Additional measures should be taken to address the particular vulnerability of girls and boys, including those who might have a disability, as well as children who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex persons, to trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation and abuse.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Children in street situations 2017, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- Causes, prevalence and experiences of children in street situations differ within and between States. Inequalities based on economic status, race and gender are among the structural causes of the emergence and exclusion of children in street situations. These are exacerbated by material poverty, inadequate social protection, poorly targeted investment, corruption and fiscal (tax and expenditure) policies that reduce or eliminate the ability of poorer people to move out of poverty. Abrupt destabilization, caused by conflict, famine, epidemic, natural disaster or forced eviction, or events leading to displacement or forced migration, further compound the effects of structural causes. Other causes include: violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect at home or in care or educational (including religious) institutions; the death of caregivers; child relinquishment (including through HIV/AIDS); unemployment of caregivers; precarious families; family breakdown; polygamy; exclusion from education; substance abuse and mental ill-health (of children or families); intolerance and discrimination, including against children with disabilities, children accused of witchcraft, former child soldiers rejected by families and children cast out from families as a result of questioning their sexuality or identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex or asexual; and families’ inability to accept children’s resistance to harmful practices, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation.
- Body
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Diversity in humanity, humanity in diversity 2017, para. 66d
- Paragraph text
- States are urged to follow up effectively on the various recommendations from the human rights treaty bodies, the universal periodic review and the special procedures in order to ensure improved protection from violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Linkage with and support for OHCHR is also important in this regard.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Gender equality in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2016, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- Many legal constituencies, however, have laws in place that hinder the equal enjoyment of the rights to water and sanitation. In many countries, land ownership, which is a precondition for gaining access to water, is often denied to women by family laws that also make it difficult for women to inherit land. Some countries criminalize open defecation while at the same time closing down public sanitation facilities. Public urination and defecation is often criminalized and laws that aim to keep cities clean may discriminate against homeless persons who have no other option but to relieve themselves in the open. Among them are many women and girls in desperate need of an adequate facility that offers privacy. Some States allow individuals to use toilets in a manner consistent with that person's chosen gender identity while other States oblige persons to use only those toilets that correspond with the biological sex listed on their birth certificate. Restrictive gender recognition laws not only severely undermine transgender peoples' ability to enjoy their rights to basic services, it also prevents them from living safely, free from violence and discrimination. Water and sanitation facilities must be safe, available, accessible, affordable, socially and culturally acceptable, provide privacy and ensure dignity for all individuals, including those who are transgender and gender non-conforming.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Pathways to, conditions and consequences of incarceration for women 2013, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Policies for conjugal visits often discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex prisoners. Because same-sex marriages are illegal in many countries, such prisoners are not likely to be lawfully married, and thus not permitted to receive visits from their partners. Even in systems allowing conjugal visits to unwedded partners, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex prisoners are not offered the same rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Reparations to women who have been subjected to violence 2010, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- There is a broader question regarding the concept of family that is embraced in reparations programmes. In this regard, polygamous unions, de facto unions, same-sex unions and more extensive culturally contingent support mechanisms, should be adequately represented to reflect the real web of dependencies and the harms entailed by their disruption.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 73c
- Paragraph text
- [With regard to domestic and private-actor violence against women, girls, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, the Special Rapporteur calls upon States to:] Provide community support programmes and services, including shelters, to victims and their dependents;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 73a
- Paragraph text
- [With regard to domestic and private-actor violence against women, girls, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, the Special Rapporteur calls upon States to:] Repeal or reform civil laws that restrict women's access to divorce, property and inheritance rights and that subjugate women and limit their ability to escape situations of domestic and other gender-based violence;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 72j
- Paragraph text
- [With regard to abuses in health-care settings, the Special Rapporteur calls upon States to:] Prohibit and prevent the discriminatory denial of medical care and of pain relief, including HIV treatment, to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 72g
- Paragraph text
- [With regard to abuses in health-care settings, the Special Rapporteur calls upon States to:] Undertake appropriate training sessions and community-level gender-sensitization campaigns to combat discriminatory gender stereotypes underlying discrimination and abuses in the provision of health-care services to women, girls, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 70v
- Paragraph text
- [With regard to women, girls, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in detention, the Special Rapporteur calls on all States to:] Ensure the physical and mental integrity of detainees at all times and prevent, investigate, prosecute and punish all acts of violence, harassment and abuse by staff members or other prisoners, at all times;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Children deprived of their liberty from the perspective of the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2015, para. 86g
- Paragraph text
- [With regard to conditions during detention, the Special Rapporteur calls upon all States:] To respond to the specific needs of groups of children that are even more vulnerable to ill-treatment or torture, such as girls, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex children, and children with disabilities;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Certain forms of abuses in health-care settings that may cross a threshold of mistreatment that is tantamount to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2013, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has concluded that homophobic ill-treatment on the part of health professionals is unacceptable and should be proscribed and denounced. There is an abundance of accounts and testimonies of persons being denied medical treatment, subjected to verbal abuse and public humiliation, psychiatric evaluation, a variety of forced procedures such as sterilization, State-sponsored forcible anal examinations for the prosecution of suspected homosexual activities, and invasive virginity examinations conducted by health-care providers, hormone therapy and genital-normalizing surgeries under the guise of so called "reparative therapies". These procedures are rarely medically necessary, can cause scarring, loss of sexual sensation, pain, incontinence and lifelong depression and have also been criticized as being unscientific, potentially harmful and contributing to stigma (A/HRC/14/20, para. 23). The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women expressed concern about lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex women as "victims of abuses and mistreatment by health service providers" (A/HRC/19/41, para. 56).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Solitary confinement 2011, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals are often subjected to solitary confinement as a form of "protective custody". Although segregation of such individuals may be necessary for their safety, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender status does not justify limitations on their social regime, e.g., access to recreation, reading materials, legal counsel or medical doctors.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Overview of main observations of five years fact-finding and research 2010, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- Among detainees, certain groups are subject to double discrimination and vulnerability, including aliens and members of minorities, women, children, the elderly, the sick, persons with disabilities, drug addicts and gay, lesbian and transgender persons.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- LGBTQI+
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Use of legislation to regulate activities of human rights defenders 2012, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur emphasizes that the Human Rights Committee has found adult consensual sexual activity in private to be part of a person's privacy, which is protected under article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR/C/50/D/488/1992, para. 8.2). Laws criminalizing consensual homosexual acts conducted in private violate a person's rights to privacy and to freedom from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, in breach of applicable international human rights law (A/HRC/19/41, para. 41). Defenders working on these issues are advocating human rights standards that are internationally recognized. States should therefore ensure that defenders working to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights can do so in a conducive and open environment without fear of persecution. Given that it is the right of human rights defenders to develop and discuss new human rights ideas and principles and to advocate their acceptance under article 7 of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, it is the responsibility of the State to ensure that its legislation relating to public morals caters to this right and does not compromise the rights of defenders to freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom of peaceful assembly.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Use of legislation to regulate activities of human rights defenders 2012, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- With regard to freedom of expression, these laws have an equally detrimental effect, given that publishing an article or expressing an opinion in favour of equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people may expose someone to criminal prosecution. This leads to self-censorship among defenders working on issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
On the Declaration on human rights defenders 2011, para. 111b (iii)
- Paragraph text
- [States are encouraged to take the following measures to address the protection needs of the following groups of defenders:] Defenders working on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights: Train law enforcement officials on appropriate conduct, particularly in relation to the implementation of the non-discrimination principle and respect for diversity;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
On the Declaration on human rights defenders 2011, para. 111b (ii)
- Paragraph text
- [States are encouraged to take the following measures to address the protection needs of the following groups of defenders:] Defenders working on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights: Ensure the protection of participants in gay pride parades before, during and after marches from violence by counter-protestors;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
On the Declaration on human rights defenders 2011, para. 111b (i)
- Paragraph text
- [States are encouraged to take the following measures to address the protection needs of the following groups of defenders:] Defenders working on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights: Hold accountable authorities taking unlawful decisions banning demonstrations;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Violations committed against defenders by non-State actors 2010, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur has been made aware of cases in which newspapers have directly incited homophobia or portrayed defenders working on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights as homosexuals. In one particular case, such defenders had to go into hiding, fearing for their physical safety and psychological integrity following the publication of their names and pictures in newspapers.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Sports and healthy lifestyles as contributing factors to the right to health 2016, para. 102c
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur recommends that national human rights institutions, non-State actors and sporting bodies:] Remove any policies that require women athletes, including intersex and transgender women athletes, to undergo unnecessary medical procedures in order to participate in competitive sport (international sporting bodies);
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Sports and healthy lifestyles as contributing factors to the right to health 2016, para. 102b
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur recommends that national human rights institutions, non-State actors and sporting bodies:] Reach consensus on policies allowing for unhindered participation in high-level competitive and amateur sport by transgender and intersex people (international sporting bodies);
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Sports and healthy lifestyles as contributing factors to the right to health 2016, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- At the amateur level, sporting facilities and teams can be hostile spaces for transgender athletes, including non-binary people. Barriers include poorly designed changing rooms, requirements to wear clothing that might cause individual discomfort or hinder bodily movement, and restrictions on the use of sex-segregated bathrooms.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Sports and healthy lifestyles as contributing factors to the right to health 2016, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- States should identify groups that are currently excluded from sport and physical activity, and through participatory mechanisms, create an inclusive culture wherein lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people and other historically excluded groups and individuals can fully and safely participate in sport.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 113e
- Paragraph text
- [In connection to sexual and reproductive health rights, the Special Rapporteur recommends that Governments:] Repeal laws criminalizing or otherwise discriminating against individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and put an end to practices and treatments aimed at changing sexual orientation and gender identity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- Lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth are at risk of "punitive" rape on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Adolescents suffer disproportionately from the effects of gun violence and significant numbers of adolescents face serious harm or death as a consequence of armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- LGBTQI+
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- Measures to address the right to health should be holistic and integrated, go beyond the provision of health services and be underpinned by cross-departmental commitment. States should take account of and respond to the particular challenges faced by different groups, such as younger and older adolescents, males, females and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Work of the mandate and priorities of the SR 2015, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- Previous mandate holders have also looked into the negative impact of the criminalization of consensual same-sex conduct, of sexual orientation and gender identity, of sex work and of HIV transmission (see A/HRC/14/20). Such work has shown that punitive policies and criminalization are not effective and act as a barrier to access health services, fuel social stigma and exclusion and lead to poor health outcomes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health and criminalization of same-sex conduct and sexual orientation, sex-work and HIV transmission 2010, para. 76a
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur calls upon States:] To take immediate steps to decriminalize consensual same-sex conduct and to repeal discriminatory laws relating to sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as to implement appropriate awareness-raising interventions on the rights of affected individuals;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health and criminalization of same-sex conduct and sexual orientation, sex-work and HIV transmission 2010, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- A right-to-health approach requires that States decriminalize same-sex consensual conduct, as well as repeal laws that discriminate in respect of sexual orientation and gender identity, in order to meet core obligations of the right to health and create an environment enabling full enjoyment of the right.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health and criminalization of same-sex conduct and sexual orientation, sex-work and HIV transmission 2010, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- Many reports indicate instances of violence directed at individuals based on same-sex conduct and gender identity. Violence can inhibit individuals from seeking access to health services out of fear of reprisals and secondary victimization resulting from identification as a victim of such an attack.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health and criminalization of same-sex conduct and sexual orientation, sex-work and HIV transmission 2010, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- In February 2010, Fiji passed a law decriminalizing consensual same-sex conduct, through the National Crimes Decree. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China also overturned a long-standing statute banning sodomy in 2005, and since 2007, consensual same-sex acts have also been legal in Nepal.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Best practices that promote and protect the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association 2012, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Furthermore, States have a negative obligation not to unduly obstruct the exercise of the right to freedom of association. Members of associations should be free to determine their statutes, structure and activities and make decisions without State interference (e.g. legislation in Bulgaria, Slovakia and Slovenia). Associations pursuing objectives and employing means in accordance with international human rights law should benefit from international legal protection. Associations should enjoy, inter alia, the rights to express opinion, disseminate information, engage with the public and advocate before Governments and international bodies for human rights, for the preservation and development of a minority's culture or for changes in law, including changes in the Constitution. The Special Rapporteur recognizes that the formation of associations embracing minority or dissenting views or beliefs may sometimes lead to tensions, but he emphasizes the duty of the State to ensure that everyone can peacefully express their views without any fear. For instance, in Lesotho, the Registrar General registered the first ever lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organization in the country called Matrix in November 2010 (after numerous delays).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of the child to freedom of expression 2014, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- Most disturbingly, child protection arguments are being used to block access to information on, for example, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues and thereby legitimize discrimination against sexual minorities. In the Russian Federation, amendments to the administrative code and law protecting children from harmful information entered into force in July 2013, outlawing "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" among children. The Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association publicly expressed concern about that law in a joint statement with other mandate holders. The child protection rationale for the Russian anti-homosexuality law has also been rejected by the European Court of Human Rights in its 2011 case Alekseyev v. Russia. Despite the criticism, other countries have followed suit. In Ukraine, in 2013, it was recommended that a draft law prohibiting "propaganda of homosexual relations" aimed at children be considered by the parliament. In the draft law "propaganda" is defined as any public action aimed at spreading information about same-sex relations. In June 2014, the human rights committee of the parliament of Kyrgyzstan approved a bill criminalizing the dissemination of information "aimed at forming positive attitudes towards non-traditional sexual relations".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of the child to freedom of expression 2014, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- This issue has also been addressed by the European Committee of Social Rights, which in 2009 found that the Croatian school curriculum covering sex education discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation. The Committee asserted that some statements in the curriculum stigmatized homosexuals and were based upon negative, distorted, reprehensible and degrading stereotypes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Gender perspectives on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment 2016, para. 70s
- Paragraph text
- [With regard to women, girls, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in detention, the Special Rapporteur calls on all States to:] Take individuals' gender identity and choice into account prior to placement and provide opportunities to appeal placement decisions;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph